Brussels negotiations: the appeal of the MR and the Engagés did not convince Ecolo

Many party members spoke in this videoconference meeting. The choice for the opposition is not unanimous.

But overall, the majority of activists do not advocate joining the MR and the Engagés to negotiate the formation of a Brussels majority.

“The discussion was respectful“, tells us an environmentalist source. “What is presented to us is not acceptable at this stage and the relationship of trust has not been reestablished with the MR. The position therefore remains unchanged.”

“We are ready to make efforts to set up a Brussels coalition with the MR, the Engagés, Ecolo and Défi”

“The option taken is clear. The strange approach of the Engagés and the MR did not contribute to its success“, adds an Ecolo.

Is the door permanently closed? Not quite. “In the medium term, if the situation deteriorates in the coming months, it is agreed to possibly discuss it again.”however, underlines a member of Ecolo who attended the meeting.

Environmentalists will, in any case, need more guarantees of goodwill, in substance and form, before possibly changing their position.

As a reminder, the MR and the Engagés, in a note sent this weekend to Ecolo, offered environmentalists a series of concessions to convince them to join the Brussels government.

“We are ready to make efforts to set up a Brussels coalition with the MR, the Engagés, Ecolo and Défi”, assured Christophe De Beukelaer, leader of the Engagés à Bruxelles dans la Libre.

The MR and the Engagés now have two options: continue the charm offensive against Ecolo and Défi, or return to the PS, which vetoed a government with the N-VA. In both cases, the end of the crisis seems very far away, in the Brussels Capital Region…